Microsoft's Plan to Port Android Apps to Windows Appears Delayed

In April, Microsoft excitedly announced its plans to port everything to Windows, including iOS and Android apps. Now, it looks like it may take longer than expected before you see any Android action on its operating systems.

Reports by Windows Central and Verge both suggest that the plans to port Android apps to Windows face some problems. Verge reports that “the company has pulled back on dedicating employees to Android app porting, favouring the iOS route instead”. Meanwhile, Windows Central claims that the future of the porting plans “is uncertain”.

There are a number of signs that point to the ill-fate of the Android porting. Its developer forums have fallen silent, for instance, while important software (that would in theory have allowed Android apps to run on Windows 10 Mobile) is absent at this point in time.

It’s not yet clear if Microsoft is scrapping its plans to port Android apps or simply struggling to get it out the door as quickly as it may have hoped. In the words of one Microsoft staffer speaking to The Verge, the software simply “is not ready yet”. It was also added that Microsoft is “committed to offering developers many options to bring their apps to the Windows Platform, including bridges available now for Web and iOS, and soon Win32”.

All of which makes it sound like Android is low down the list of priorities, if it’s even on it at all. Does that come as a serious blow or could see it coming? [Verge , Windows Central]